Photo recording assembly

ABSTRACT

The assembly makes series of photographs of an object so as to record outline changes thereof through a preselected angular and/or longitudinal distance. It has a structure including circular or partly circular guide means for guiding a trolley carrying the camera and a light projector, so that photographs of the object, which is substantially in the center of the curvature, can be taken.

[451 Sept. 5,1972

United States Cruickshank [54] PHOTO RECORDING ASSEMBLY 2,163,125 6/1939 Jefi'reys et a] [72] Inventor: John S. Cruickshank, Rosemount,2163124 I 6/1'939 Jeffreys.et i fiu Road Bridge of Earn 3,289,528Petreycik..... Perth, Scotland 3,244,065 4/1966 Lemelson 3,267,7998/1966 Harrison...... [22] Filed: June 22, 1970 3,037,441 6/1962 Leach[21] Appl. No.: 48,214

. I Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews Assistant Examiner-Richard A.Wintercom [30] Foreign Application Priority Data AttorneyMolinare,Allegretti, Newitt & Witcofi' Great Britain..........31,387/69 [52] US.346/107 R, 355/47,

June 20, 1969 [57] ABSTRACT The assembly makes series of photographs ofan object so as to record outline changes thereof through a preselectedangular and/or longitudinal distance. It

, Int. 17/56 [58] Field of Search ..........95/86, 12, 15; 355/40, 43,has a structure including circular or partly circular guide means forguiding a trolley carrying the camera and a light projector, so thatphotographs of the object, which is substantially in the center of thecurvacan be'taken.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ture,

2,002,090 5/1935 Ives..........................355/22 X 8 Claims, 3Drawing PHOTO RECORDING ASSEMBLY DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION The inventionrelates to a photo recording assembly for making a series of photographsof an object so that the outline changes of the photographed objectoccurring through a preselected angular and/or longitudinal distance arerecorded on a photographic film.

A photo recording assembly according to the invention comprises astationary or movable structure including guide means curved in theshape of a circle or a part of a circle, a trolley, carrying a cameraand a light projector for illuminating the object, being adapted to besupported and to be displaceable along the guide.

The structure may comprise a stationary main frame and movable framedisplaceable on and along the stationary frame.

The invention willnow be described with reference to an embodimentdesigned specifically to record outline changes of a horizontallyextending object, in the illustrated example of a lying body, by acamera movable about the object through an angular distance smaller than180.and adapted to take pictures at regu lar angular intervals.

In the drawing: 4 I

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembly; a

FIG. 2 is a detail illustrating means for actuating the electriccircuit; and

FIG. 3 illustrates details of the trolley.

The assembly comprises a horizontally extending main supporting frame 1formed by interconnected tubular sections and supported on wheels, whichcan be transported on its wheels to the place of its use and there madestationary. The main frame 1 carries a semicircular frame 2 comprisingtwo semicircular guide members and adapted to travel on and along themain frame 1. The guide members of the slidable frame 2 carry a trolley5 adapted to be displaced on and along the frame 2 by means of a cord 7,one end of which is attached to a winder and ratchet mechanism 9 and theother end is provided with a balance weight 8.

The trolley 5 carries at its ends a slit projector 3 and a camera 4,respectively, both of which are angularly displaceable. The trolley 5 issuspended on the two members of the frame 2 by means of four pairs ofwheels. One of the said pairs of wheels comprises a travel wheel 6F anda counter wheel 66 adapted to roll in a non-slip way on one of thesemicircular members when the trolley 5 is pulled by the cord 7.

A driver gear 6A, which is co-axial and rotates with the wheels 66,drives by means of an idler 6B a follower6C, which is provided with apin 6D adapted to actuate a micro-switch 6E on each full turn of thefollower 6C. The micro-switch closes and opens an electric circuitactuating the camera 4, which is a camera with electrically controlledshutter andautomatic rewind mechanism.

The gear train 6A, 6B, 6C is so designed that each predetermined angulardistance, e.g. after each 2, travelled by the trolley 5, the follower 6Cturns through 360 and actuates by its pin 6D the switch 6E, so that apicture is taken by the camera 4.

The assembly according to the invention comprises also means to preventtaking pictures when it is not desired, for instance during preparationof the trolley,

camera or projector for operation. To this end the circuit can beprovided with another switch or the microswitch 6E,can be adapted to bedisplaceable from the path of the actuating pin 6D.

The function of the assembly will now be explained in connection withmaking a series of photographs of a body. The corpse is placed below theassembly or the assembly is driven to and placed above the body (FIG.1), the slidable frame 2 is placed at the head of the body, the cameraand projector are adjusted, the trolley is positioned at one end of theframe 2 and is pushed by means of the cord 7 along the frame 2 while apicture is taken as described, e.g. each 2 of angular displacement ofthe trolley and thus of the camera and projector.

After the trolley 5 reaches a predetermined position at the other end ofthe slidable frame 2, the whole slidable frame is moved from the headtoward the feet of the body through a predetermined distance, dependenton the optical system of the camera. Then the previously described cycleis repeated.

It will be understood that the described embodiment of a photo recordingassembly for a horizontally extending stationary object, less than halfof which peripheral shape is of importance can easily be adapted for anobject the whole of which periphery should be photographed. This caneasily be achieved for instance by making the frame 2 circular.

The apparatus can be used for vertically extending objects in which casethe circular or partly circular frame and guide member or members extendin a horizontal plane and are displaceable vertically on a vertical mainframe,

It will be further understood that the above embodiments are designedfor an object which is so long that its whole length cannot bephotographed, and consequently first of all a series 'of photographs ofits upper part and a series of photographs of its lower part must bemade. For shorter objects the structure of the apparatus can be muchsimpler as it need not be longitudinally displaced and consequently theapparatus will consist only of a stationary frame, which will be shapedand adapted substantially as the slidable frame 2 described above.

Instead of a still photographic camera a cine camera, having a variableframe speed, can be used and if the movement of the cine camera on theguide members and the frame speed of the camera are synchronized nogearing for the actuation of the camera is needed.

What I claim is:

1. A photo recording assembly for making a series of photographs of anobject so that the outline changes of the photographed object occurringthrough a preselected angular and/or longitudinal distance are recordedon a conventional photographic film comprising in combination astructure including a first part and a second part carried by anddisplaceable on said first part, said second part including guide meanscurved to define at least part of a circle, a trolley carried by anddisplaceable on said guide means, said trolley carrying a motor drivencamera and a slit light projector for illuminating the object, saidcamera and said slit light projector being angularly displaceablerelative to each other and their positionrelative to said photographedobject being adjustable.

2. A photo recording assembly according to claim 1 wherein said trolleyis displaceable on said guide means by means of a travelling gear, saidgear including at least one wheel rotatable in a non-slip way on saidguide means when said trolley is displaced, said wheel being adapted toactuate control means of said camera.

3. A photo recording assembly according to claim 2 including a switchelement arranged between said wheel and said camera control means andpreventing said camera from taking pictures when switched off.

4. A photo recording assembly according to claim 1 wherein said camerais a cine camera with variable frame speed.

5. A photo recording assembly according to claim 1 wherein the trolleyis carried on the guide means by at least a pair of cooperating wheels,one of said pair of wheels being adapted to roll in a non-slip way onsaid guide means when said trolley is displaced.

6. A photo recording assembly according to claim 5 including cameracontrol means for actuating the camera and gear means operativelyconnected to said one wheel for rotation therewith, said gear meansbeing adapted to actuate said camera control means periodically duringrotation thereof.

7. A photo recording assembly according to claim 6 wherein the. cameracontrol means includes a switch element and said gear train includes agear having a pin thereon adapted to engage the switch element andactuate same.

8. A photo recording assembly as in claim 1 wherein the first part isstationary and said trolley is displacea ble on said guide means bymeans of a traveling gear on said guide means.

' Ir a a: m a

1. A photo recording assembly for making a series of photographs of anobject so that the outline changes of the photographed object occurringthrough a preselected angular and/or longitudinal distance are recordedon a conventional photographic film comprising in combination astructure including a first part and a second part carried by anddisplaceable on said first part, said second part including guide meanscurved to define at least part of a circle, a trolley carried by anddisplaceable on said guide means, said trolley carrying a motor drivencamera and a slit light projector for illuminating the object, saidcamera and said slit light projector being angularly displaceablerelative to each other and their position relative to said photographedobject being adjustable.
 2. A photo recording assembly according toclaim 1 wherein said trolley is displaceable on said guide means bymeans of a travelling gear, said gear including at least one wheelrotatable in a non-slip way on said guide means when said trolley isdisplaced, said wheel being adapted to actuate control means of saidcamera.
 3. A photo recording assembly according to claim 2 including aswitch element arranged between sAid wheel and said camera control meansand preventing said camera from taking pictures when switched off.
 4. Aphoto recording assembly according to claim 1 wherein said camera is acine camera with variable frame speed.
 5. A photo recording assemblyaccording to claim 1 wherein the trolley is carried on the guide meansby at least a pair of cooperating wheels, one of said pair of wheelsbeing adapted to roll in a non-slip way on said guide means when saidtrolley is displaced.
 6. A photo recording assembly according to claim 5including camera control means for actuating the camera and gear meansoperatively connected to said one wheel for rotation therewith, saidgear means being adapted to actuate said camera control meansperiodically during rotation thereof.
 7. A photo recording assemblyaccording to claim 6 wherein the camera control means includes a switchelement and said gear train includes a gear having a pin thereon adaptedto engage the switch element and actuate same.
 8. A photo recordingassembly as in claim 1 wherein the first part is stationary and saidtrolley is displaceable on said guide means by means of a traveling gearon said guide means.